AUGUSTA, Ga. — When Gary Woodland last played the Masters he shot 85 in the third round in 2012 and withdrew with a left wrist injury. On Thursday, Woodland shot a 2-under par 70 and enters Friday’s second round just two shots out of the lead.

“It was nice to get back here after what happened a couple years ago,’’ Woodland said. “I’m a different golfer than I was back then, too. I’m confident and I’m healthy.’’

He also has a new caddie, Tony Navarro, who was on Greg Norman’s bag for years and was also Adam Scott’s caddie for a number of years.

“Tony gives me added confidence around here,’’ Woodland said. “It’s nice having him on the bag, it tends to help me. He knows what he’s doing. I trust him.’’

Woodland, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, birdied three of the four par-5s on Thursday.

“These set up pretty good for me,’’ he said. “The par-5s are great; you can attack. When I hit driver, I feel like it’s a big advantage, so this golf course sets up pretty good for me.’’

After the three golf legends — Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player — were finished hitting the ceremonial first tee shot, they were asked their opinion about what Augusta National should do about replacing the Eisenhower Tree on the 17th hole that was felled by an ice storm this past winter.

All three are noted golf course architects.

“I would probably put a tree right back there where the (original) tree was,’’ Palmer said.

“It does look a little naked,’’ Nicklaus said. “Could you put a tree back? Sure, you could, but personally I think the hole needs definition a little further up (the fairway).’’

Player said: “Personally, I am anti-trees in the middle of fairways, the same as I’m against bunkers in the idle of fairways. The tree, as much respect as I had for the name attached to the tree, I think it’s best that a tree is not put back there.”

Jason Dufner probably ruined his chances of winning back-to-back majors when he took a quadruple bogey 9 at the par-5 13th hole. Dufner, the 2013 PGA Champion at Oak Hill, was on the back left of the green in two, but hit his third shot across the green and down into the water. He tried to play his fourth shot out of the water, but it landed well short and rolled back into the creek. He took a drop for his fifth shot, and then chunked his sixth shot. He finally got back on the green with his seventh shot and two-putted. Dufner declined interviews after completing his round of 8-over par 80.

Luke Donald was assessed a two-stroke penalty after grounding his club in a bunker on the ninth hole. Donald’s approach shot landed in the same bunker. But when he attempted to blast out of the bunker with his third shot, the ball rolled back into the sand trap. Donald was then ruled to have grounded his club before hitting his fourth shot out of the sand. Donald took an eight at the par-4 and finished with a 7-over-par 79.